This invention relates to material handling apparatus, and, while of broader applicability, is especially directed to an improved conveyor for moving generally cylindrical articles along a travel path, for example, between a pair of work stations.
Exemplary articles are crankshafts that weigh in the neighborhood of 500 lbs., and which must be moved, individually, in the course of their manufacture between work stations for performing various machine operations thereon. It has been found convenient to roll such articles, transversely of their polar axes and in mutually equally spaced relationship, on a track defined by parallel rails that supportingly engage a pair of their main bearing surfaces. Due to the massiveness of each such article, both their bearing surfaces and the rails are susceptible of damage arising from impact as the articles are rolled, typically in sequential increments, along the track; this same impact tends to noisy operation of the apparatus. It has also been found convenient to provide for selective accumulation, or storage, and movement of the articles.
The prior art teaches apparatuses for sequentially moving mutually equally spaced cylindrical articles along substantially horizontal rails, but not all have achieved impact free transfer of relatively massive articles, while affording accumulation and selective access thereto along the line of transfer.
It is a general objective of the present invention to provide an improved horizontal conveyor that affords sequential, impact free transport of generally cylindrical articles.
It is a further objective of the invention to provide an improved conveyor and accumulating means for somewhat massive, generally cylindrical articles.